During the past few weeks, a rapidly deteriorating state of affairs in industrial democracy has developed. All stakeholders have failed to ensure the protection of workers’ rights, starting with the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (DIER), government entities such as the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) as well as the Ministry of Tourism, the employer directly responsible for ITS.

The evidence for the government’s failure to protect Industrial democracy is overwhelming when it denies any worker, in any industry, be it private or state-owned, to be affiliated with any trade union of their choice. Contrary to the rights enshrined in the nation’s constitution and incorporated in the law of the land.

Under the current administration, bullies within state-owned entities have been given room to trample upon the constitutional rights of workers by dictating what union they are allowed to subscribe to and which directives they can follow. 

If one dares go against the management’s choice of union (such as what has happened at ITS) one is intimidated with the possibility of dismissal. 

Just this week two UPE members received dismissal notice from ITS after allegedly following Union directives pertaining to pedagogy and health and safety. A textbook case in North Korea, but not for a democratic country that we are supposed to live in. 

We honestly hope that this was an isolated and a misguided case and not the norm within a government-run institution, as this would tarnish the reputation of the Maltese State upholding the rule of law with international observers within the EU. 

If this were not scandalous enough, such attitudes and decisions taken within government entities undermine the principle that the government should lead by example as Malta’s largest employer with its core values enshrined in its statute to defend and bring social justice for all the workers. 

The UPE is determined that the voice of the defenceless will be heard and that justice will prevail both locally and abroad. 

Workers are being left vulnerable to attacks from state entities who disregard the law and believe that by harassing workers they can create a negative atmosphere in the workplace to discourage other workers from joining a union.

The DIER has not yet concluded its investigation into the illegal deduction from the salary of the mentioned workers at ITS. We hope that adequate resources are given to such entities whose INDEPENDENT role is imperative for industrial democracy to flourish and counter the abuses that may be committed by obdurate employers.

UPE will in the coming days issue various statements informing the general public on the latest events and also provide a course of action to be undertaken in these difficult days ahead.